BY TIMOTHY O'HARA

Citizen Staff

KEY WEST — The Planning Board on Thursday is slated to make recommendations on plans that could help ease the city's affordable housing problem.

One plan is for building 38 affordable condos in the 3800 block of North Roosevelt Boulevard and converting the Banana Bay Resort and Fairfield Inn on North Roosevelt Boulevard into upscale condos and affordable apartments for hotel workers. The board is expected to vote on a plan that would set up rules for dormitory housing for workers.

The developers of Hilton Resort and Marina have proposed demolishing most of the Banana Bay Resort and Fairfield Inn on Hilton Haven Drive . They would replace 76 units with a 65-unit residential condo complex: 34 condos set at affordable housing prices, 20 market-rate units and 11 units that would be rented to tourists.

Ed and Mimi Grantham, City Commissioner Mark Rossi and several other Hilton Haven Drive residents have voiced concerns about traffic on the narrow street and the loss of hotel rooms that cater to working-class families if Banana Bay is changed.

The planning staff is developing guidelines that would require dorm owners to post signs stating the housing is for workers only. Among the proposed rules, the Key West home manager must live in the city limits and be available 24 hours a day. The Key West home manager also must maintain the names and jobs titles of the people living in the rooms. City officials may inspect the Key West home once a year to ensure it adheres to code and complies with transitional workforce housing guidelines.

The facilities must contain at least five private rooms. Each must have a minimum of 80 square feet, enough space to place a single bed, desk and chair. There must be indoor access to common bathrooms with private showers, a furnished kitchen with appliances and food storage areas. Developers must furnish one compact parking space per 10 rooms and one bike or scooter spot per room.

Board members postponed voting on the dorm issue at a meeting last month because they had not developed maximum rent amounts.

The staff has proposed the maximum rent, including utilities, should be 30 percent of the median household income for Monroe County , according to a draft of the ordinance.

The City Commission has final approval over the board's recommendations.

tohara@keysnews.com

Key West Citizen 4-18-06